Generally, the present invention relates to public transportation, and more specifically to manners of signaling an approaching bus driver of the intent to be a passenger on the bus driven by said bus driver.
In public transportation, a bus route is typically made up of a number of bus stops. It is common for a bus driver, in an attempt to canvas the bus route in an efficient manner, to not stop at bus stops, which have no apparent waiting passengers. Likewise, if an individual is standing at or near a bus stop the bus driver must assume that the individual is a passenger and the driver will stop at the bus stop. If the individual is not a passenger, then the bus driver made a stop he/she did not need to make.
A problem with this prior art public transportation method arises particularly during inclement weather. In such a case, passengers waiting to be picked up at an unsheltered bus stop may huddle in out-of-sight doorways adjacent the bus stop, under shop awnings, around the corner of a building to get out of wind, or other locations. In such instances, if the passengers do not see the approaching bus in time to move to the actual bus stop for the bus driver to see them and stop, the bus driver may pass by the bus stop, leaving the passengers behind. Transit agencies expect the passengers to xe2x80x9cnotifyxe2x80x9d the driver that they are present and would like to board the bus by waving their hands or raising a hand or something of that fashion. The device of the invention is simply an emphasized extension of waving a hand, and agencies automatically identify the value of the TranSignal.
What is needed is an apparatus and/or method whereby passengers can signal to the bus driver that they want the bus driver to stop at the bus stop. This would make the route more efficient for the driver, and passengers would not be left at pickup locations. The device would be easier to be implemented if it was a stand-alone unit, to minimize the installation expense. The present invention solves this need.
The present invention is a device used for signaling bus drivers at a bus stop that a passenger is present and waiting for the driver to stop in order to allow the passenger to board the bus for transportation. The invention can also be used for signaling other public transportation vehicles, such as taxis. Such a use would be useful in having a taxi wait away from an air terminal exit until a passenger indicates a need for a taxi. The present invention is particularly useful during inclement weather when passengers huddle in out-of-sight doorways, around corners of buildings, under adjacent building awnings, during the nighttime, and/or where a passenger is standing in a position that wrongly indicates to the driver that they are not a passenger. Transit districts increasingly receive complaints that buses have passed by a person standing at or near a marked bus stop and have been searching for simple, inexpensive solutions to solve this problem.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the signaling device of the invention includes a tubular post member (housing), a signal light subassembly located within the post adjacent its upper end, wherein the signal light of the signal light subassembly communicates with the exterior of the post through an opening therein; a power source; an activation switch subassembly; and wiring electrically connecting the signal light, the power source, and the switch subassembly in a manner adapted to allow the signal light to be activated upon depressing of the switch.
It is an object of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive signaling device for use in public transportation systems.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive bus signaling device for use at bus stops.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description wherein I have shown and described only the preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by carrying out my invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the preferred embodiment are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.